The Rev. Dr. Margaret Grun Kibben, the current chaplain of the United States House of Representatives and a retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral, will speak at University of the Ozarks on Tuesday, April 22.
The event will begin at 7 p.m. in the Munger-Wilson Chapel. Kibben’s visit is made possible by the Cecil and Ruth Boddie Farmer Guest Speaker Endowment. There is no charge for admission and the public is invited to attend.
The title of Kibben’s talk will be “Leaders Lead: The Perils of Power.”
Kibben described her talk this way: “Leadership enjoys, and endures, both luxury and loneliness. It means to experience the rewards of leadership AND to bear the weight of responsibility. Both need to be acknowledged and distributed in order to maintain the integrity of our calling and the spiritual strength of our souls.”
Kibben is an ordained Presbyterian Minister (PCUSA) and served over 30 years as a chaplain in the United States Navy, completing her career as the U.S. Navy’s 26th Chief of Chaplains. She also served as the 18th Chaplain of the Marine Corps. Her military service comprised a variety of both Navy and Marine Corps assignments where she served ashore, at sea, and abroad, to include a combat-tour in Afghanistan.
On Jan. 3, 2021, Kibben was elected by the House and sworn in by Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the 61st chaplain of the United States House of Representatives, becoming the first woman to serve as chaplain in either chamber of Congress. Speaker Mike Johnson appointed Kibben as acting House chaplain on Jan. 3, 2025.
Kibben is a graduate of Goucher College in Towson, Maryland. She received both her master of divinity and her doctor of ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, N.J. She served as a fellow at the United States Institute of Peace and holds a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College.
In addition to the Princeton Theological Seminary’s Board of Trustees, Kibben serves on the boards for the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence, the World War II Foundation, and the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. She is a faculty associate for Arizona State University’s School of Politics and Global Studies.
Kibben is married to Lt. Col. Timothy J. Kibben, USMC (Ret.) and enjoys cycling, swimming, and gardening.
The chaplain of the United States House of Representatives is the officer of the United States House of Representatives responsible for beginning each day’s proceedings with a prayer. In addition to opening proceedings with prayer, the chaplain provides pastoral counseling to the House community, coordinates the scheduling of guest chaplains, and arranges memorial services for the House and its staff. In the past, chaplains have performed marriage and funeral ceremonies for House members.
Topics: Community Events